Mesquite Smoked Beef Brisket Sandwiches

Introduction

You smoke the brisket for 6 hours in a foil pouch with vinegar mixture, Worcestershire sauce, and honey, then coat it with Dijon mustard and Barbecue Rub for another 10 hours. The result is chopped brisket with a firm bark, deep mesquite smoke, and enough moisture to hold up in hamburger buns, so it works well for a cookout or a make-ahead party main.

Recipe Details

• Prep Time: 30 minutes
• Cook Time: 16 hours
• Total Time: 16 hours 30 minutes
• Servings: 12

Ingredients

• Large mesquite chunks, as needed
• 1 ea. (8-10 lb) beef brisket
• ½ cup vinegar mixture from North Carolina-Style BBQ Ribs, plus more for serving
• ¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
• ¼ cup honey
• 1 cup Dijon mustard
• 1 cup Barbecue Rub
• Hamburger buns for serving

Instructions

1. Place mesquite into the firebox of a 250°F smoker.
2. Trim fat cap to ¼ inch. Place brisket into a large foil pouch and pour in vinegar mixture, Worcestershire sauce, and honey. Place pouch in smoker and cook for 6 hours, changing chunks as needed.
3. Remove brisket from pouch, spread mustard evenly on it, and massage Rub into meat. Place brisket back into smoker and cook for 10 hours, changing chunks as needed.
4. Separate brisket halves along fat line. Slice across the grain as thinly as humanly possible, chop roughly, and place serving portion in halved buns.
5. Place some vinegar mixture into a squirt bottle and serve with sandwiches.

Variations

• Replace the large mesquite chunks with hickory or oak if you want a less aggressive smoke profile. The brisket will still taste smoked, but the wood flavor will be rounder and less sharp.
• Swap the Dijon mustard for yellow mustard if you want a milder, more straightforward binder. The bark will still form well, but the finished brisket will have less tang.
• Use Kaiser rolls instead of hamburger buns if you want a sturdier sandwich. They hold up better to chopped brisket and extra vinegar mixture.
• After slicing across the grain, keep the brisket mostly sliced instead of chopping roughly. The sandwich will eat more like sliced barbecue and less like chopped brisket.

Tips for Success

• Keep the fat cap at ¼ inch as directed; thicker fat blocks smoke and rub, and thinner trimming can dry the surface.
• Change the mesquite chunks before the smoke drops off, especially during the first several hours when the brisket takes on most of its smoke flavor.
• Spread the Dijon mustard evenly before adding the Barbecue Rub so the bark develops consistently instead of in patchy spots.
• Separate the brisket halves along the fat line before slicing so you can follow the grain correctly on each piece.
• Slice across the grain as thinly as possible; thick slices will feel stringy in a sandwich even if the brisket is fully cooked.

Storage and Reheating

Store the chopped or sliced brisket separately from the hamburger buns in airtight containers. Keep it in the fridge for up to 4 days or freeze it for up to 3 months; wrap freezer portions tightly before sealing to limit moisture loss.

Reheat the brisket covered in a baking dish at 300°F with a small splash of the vinegar mixture until hot, about 15 to 20 minutes. You can also reheat it in the microwave in short bursts, covered, with a little vinegar mixture to keep it from drying out. Store buns at room temperature for short-term use or freeze them separately.

FAQ

Why is the brisket cooked in a foil pouch for the first 6 hours?

The foil pouch keeps the vinegar mixture, Worcestershire sauce, and honey in contact with the meat while it smokes. That stage adds moisture and flavor before the mustard-and-rub bark goes on.

Can you use a brisket flat instead of a whole beef brisket?

Yes, but it will cook faster and usually eat leaner and a little drier than a whole packer brisket. Start checking for tenderness earlier than the full 16-hour timeline.

Do you have to chop the brisket after slicing it?

No. Chopping helps the meat pile into buns more evenly, but leaving it sliced gives you a looser sandwich texture.

How do you make these sandwiches gluten-free?

Use gluten-free buns and check the Worcestershire sauce and Barbecue Rub labels, since both can contain gluten depending on the brand. The brisket itself is otherwise straightforward to adapt.